Nigeria risks losing out on the growing share of global maritime trade if it fails to embrace disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, robotics, and big data, and to invest more in port infrastructure, research, and human capital.

Also, as international shipping continues to evolve through digitalisation, decarbonisation, automation and enhanced safety requirements, the demand for competent maritime professionals is increasing globally.

These were the submissions from stakeholders in the maritime sector at the 2026 Maritime Training Summit and Awards of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), held in Lagos recently.

They noted that the global maritime industry was highly regulated, technology-driven, and dependent on a skilled workforce capable of operating under international standards, stressing that Africa had struggled to produce enough internationally certified maritime professionals.

Managing Director, Kamany Marine Services Limited, Dr Charles Okorefe, identified fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, maritime transport, shipping, port operations, renewable energy, biotechnology and coastal infrastructure as areas offering opportunities within the blue economy with a less-skilled workforce.

The maritime expert, who gave the keynote address, questioned whether Nigeria was doing enough to leverage its maritime resources and respond proactively to rapid technological disruptions that are transforming the global industry.

Also, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, warned that the country’s drive towards smart and digitally driven ports would not deliver the desired transformation without a maritime workforce equipped with the skills to operate emerging technologies.

Dantsoho, represented at the occasion by the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Adebowale Ibrahim, said the maritime industry was undergoing a profound transformation driven by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, data analytics and logistics systems, making continuous investment in human capital critical.

Dantsoho stressed that the effectiveness of these technologies would depend largely on the people operating them, noting that future training programmes must prepare maritime professionals for emerging areas such as smart ports, autonomous and increasingly connected ships, cybersecurity, green shipping and data-driven decision-making.

He, however, emphasised that investment in the right skills would produce a maritime workforce capable of driving safer, smarter, greener and more efficient port and maritime operations.

Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr Bashir Adeniyi, said the service was moving towards a predictive border-management system driven by artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital platforms to enable it to identify high-risk cargo and transactions before they become enforcement problems, while allowing compliant traders to enjoy faster and more predictable clearance.

According to him, modernisation must therefore be accompanied by strong authentication, data protection, cybersecurity monitoring, secure information exchange, business continuity arrangements and regular security assessments.

Adeniyi argued that the success of Customs modernisation would ultimately depend on the quality of the people operating the technology.

He called for continuous training for customs officers in data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital trade, risk management, supply chain security, international trade agreements, emerging technologies, professional ethics, and stakeholder communication.

Managing Director, Ports Operations Strategic Business Unit, Dangote Industries Limited, Akin Omole, stressed the importance of developing indigenous maritime expertise, warning that Nigeria would continue to depend on foreign professionals if it failed to invest in its workforce’s skills.

He said technology was useless without competent people, adding that Dangote had invested in training indigenous mooring masters and crews to global SPM standards.

Omole recalled that the first crude vessel, MT OTIS, was berthed by Nigerians, describing the achievement as an example of what targeted investment in local maritime capacity could deliver.

“The future maritime workforce must be digital, safety-conscious, and commercially aware. If we don’t build them, we will import them,” Omole warned.

He also called for greater investment in maritime knowledge and data, noting that the industry must move beyond conventional practices to embrace port community systems, artificial intelligence to predict vessel delays, and alternative fuels for the next generation of ships.

President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Awimero, called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s training system, warning that the country cannot build a competitive maritime industry without investing seriously in knowledge and continuous capacity development.

Awimero, who spoke as Chairman of the summit, said Nigeria’s persistent development challenges were partly rooted in its failure to adequately train and equip its people.

He declared that countries that had achieved significant economic and technological progress did so largely because of deliberate investments in knowledge and human capacity, warning that Nigeria risked falling further behind other countries.

Earlier, President of AMJON, Vera Osokpo, said Nigeria could not aspire to lead Africa’s maritime hub without transforming how skills are developed, noting that the industry no longer depends on traditional training methods at a time when technology, automation, and digitalisation are rapidly changing global shipping and port operations.